John Graham thought a key man agreement would protect his company. Instead, it put a price on his friend's life.

When Brian Thomas is murdered days before a critical launch, his business partner, John Graham, inherits control of Brian's venture-backed startup and the $5 million insurance policy attached to it. To the police, the board, the insurer, and the prosecutors, the story is obvious: a struggling founder signed the right documents, waited for the right moment, and cashed in.

But John knows the truth is buried deeper, inside a corporate structure designed to look legitimate. As the investigation becomes a federal case, John must prove the one thing no one wants to hear: the system was not hacked. It was built that way.